Oct 17, 2021About Texas Schools’ Holocaust Teaching: Your Point of View Isn’t As Important As FactsFacts matter. — Remember this meme? What if this is actually a terrible and stupid message? We can discuss opinions: this is perfectly valid in a debate regarding the best flavor of ice cream. But there are facts and promoting this nonsense willy nilly is dangerous! Imagine the two see another number on…Facts2 min readFacts2 min read
Oct 7, 2021If the polar ice melts revealing the soil, would ancient plants flourish again?First, most polar ice is over the water. There is plenty of ice on Greenland, though, so let’s discuss that. — To have undisturbed soil under a glacier with plant seeds or other biologic material preserved, you’d need a very gentle environment. The bottom of a glacier is about as far away from a gentle environment as you could possibly get. Glaciers are massive rock-grinding machines that rip apart the surface…Climate Change2 min readClimate Change2 min read
Aug 1, 2021Collecting Rocks in MichiganLaws applicable to rock collection in Michigan — I manage a group of rock enthusiasts in Michigan. In order to clear up questions, confusion and controversy, I have thoroughly studied the laws applicable to rock collecting in Michigan and summarized them here. There is a 25lb annual limit on the collection of rocks, minerals and fossils from state-owned…Michigan3 min readMichigan3 min read
Jul 13, 2021Why doesn’t lava melt people?In addition to the “bones don’t melt” answers which can be supplemented with “meat does not melt”, it is interesting to note what happens on the rare occasions that people have fallen into lava. The lava is very close to its freezing point as it oozes across the ground- it…Volcano2 min readVolcano2 min read
Jul 8, 2021How can one relate the distribution of mountain ranges with the distribution of earthquake epicenters and volcanoes?Sharing some geology knowledge — Most mountain ranges are built along plate boundaries where the plates are crashing together. …Earth2 min readEarth2 min read
Jul 2, 2021What is the most useless word in English?a word with 45 letters — The most useless word in the English language is the longest one and is from my own study area: pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis. We English speakers like smaller words and we’re ok with putting several together to describe something if we have to. …English1 min readEnglish1 min read
Jun 28, 2021Follow a geologist with a Rock ID (II)Step by step investigation of a rock and how it formed — I participate in a group of rock enthusiasts in Michigan and was asked about this very strange rock. In particular, the asker wanted to know what it was and especially how did it end up looking so bizarre, with these odd patterns all over it. My answer follows… This one…Rock4 min readRock4 min read
Jun 22, 2021Why does high-pressure spin clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere?The reason is simple: it is due to the Coriolis Effect. — This effect is caused by the way objects move in “straight lines” in a rotating reference frame. Here is a Wikipedia gif that I love using to help explain the effect: From a north polar perspective, which is appropriate in the northern hemisphere, all moving objects are deflected to the…Meteorology2 min readMeteorology2 min read
Jun 20, 2021My best “one time my dad …” storyHappy Father’s Day — One time my dad decided to do some electrical work on the house by himself. Who needs a licensed electrician? Not this guy! It only took him about 15 minutes to do whatever he was trying to do, and in the end, everything worked… just not how it was supposed…Fathers Day2 min readFathers Day2 min read
Jun 17, 2021For people who advocate a ban on private gun ownership, what is their plan in the event someone breaks into their home?My two cents — I wrote the following piece on Facebook a few years ago after chasing a thief through my neighborhood while walking my dog late one night in Australia (I’m an American back in the States now). …Gun Control4 min readGun Control4 min read
